Fly Guam makes maiden flight from Nagoya today

Sixty-one Japanese tourists are expected to arrive today aboard Fly Guam’s maiden flight from Nagoya.

The group, which will be flying in on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, is expected to arrive at 4:25pm at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

According to the Fly Guam station on Saipan, a total of 61 passengers are confirmed to arrive today—nine business class and 59 economy class passengers. They will be assisted by six crewmembers and will be welcomed by Marianas Visitors Authority representatives upon arrival at the airport.

Charlie Hoare, Fly Guam’s corporate communication and projects manager, told Saipan Tribune that the new route from Japan will bring more five weekly flights to Saipan—every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

Fly Guam’s next flight from Nagoya will be fully booked on Aug. 14, Hoare said. A Boeing 737-400 seats 144 passengers.

The first group of passengers will be given special gifts, Hoare said.

Information from the Fly Guam office show that the carrier now has a total of 23 flights every week from Guam, Hong Kong, and Nagoya.

Saipan Tribune learned that an inaugural ceremony is scheduled in Japan today where VIPs from Japan and Saipan, as well as top officials of Fly Micronesia, are expected.

“We’re very excited and proud to be launching this new route. We hope to bring thousands of tourists to the CNMI with this route and many more,” said Hoare.

The flights from Nagoya are scheduled on Aug. 14, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, and 29.

The Marianas Visitors Authority said yesterday that five media outlets will take part in Fly Guam’s inaugural flight from Nagoya to help promote the island as a beach resort destination.

In a statement, MVA announced that two daily newspapers from Nagoya, a monthly golf newspaper, and two magazines will visit the CNMI from Aug. 11 through Aug. 14. These include Chunichi Shimbun, Gifu Shimbun, lifestyle magazines Cheek and Spy Girl, and Golf Masters.

“We’re very excited about the launch of Fly Micronesia’s air service between Japan and NMI and look forward to the arrival of our first media [familiarization] tour in support of these flights,” said MVA marketing manager Bruce Bateman, adding that each flight brings another 144 seats to the islands, which is a welcome news.

“The challenge now is to get funding sufficient to properly promote the schedule and help Fly Micronesia keep those seats full,” he said.

MVA, he said, will support the familiarization tour with ground transportation, escorts, and assistance with film permitting.

The Chunichi Shimbun is a Japanese daily broadsheet newspaper circulated to 2.7 million readers largely in Aichi Prefecture and other neighboring regions of Nagoya. The newspaper will feature Fly Micronesia and the Northern Marianas in eight columns at the end of this month, providing an estimated ad value of $323,500.

Gifu Shimbun is a daily newspaper published in Gifu Prefecture near Nagoya that has been in circulation of 130 years. Reaching an estimated 177,000 readers, the paper will provide $25,075 worth of coverage later this month.

Lifestyle magazines CHEEK and SPY GIRL are published by Ryuko Hasshin Ltd. and target women in their 20s and 30s. With a circulation of 180,000 readers, the magazines will carry four pages on the destination in the fall with an ad value of $20,000.

Golf Masters is a monthly free-paper specialized in golf also distributed in Aichi Prefecture and neighboring regions. With a circulation of 98,530, the paper targets men and women golfers. Its Sept. 30 edition will feature the world-class courses of the Northern Marianas for an estimated ad value of $15,000.